post your chicken coop pictures here!

[rhino1]

Get that hardware cloth up ASAP. Coons will come right over your fence and shred that chicken wire.

Im going to work on it this weekend

 

[rhino1]

Great job! I so know how hard to build it alone (no one to hold the other end) while working 50+ hours full time job.
I love your design

Yeah, you throw a screw in to hold one end, put the other end where you want it, them go bqck and try to level it up. While trying to look at the level 3 ft away

 

[perchie.girl]

I am almost finished with my coop and run. Finished enough to share. Since I used many ideas on this site to construct mine I felt compelled to show my coop and share for those out there looking for ideas like I was. The first thing I did was buy 1x6 blocks for around a buck a piece. I buried these upright in case something wanted to dig underneath the coop. I then laid the same blocks flat on the ground and built my coop on top of them. Sort of looks like a T if that makes sense. My coop is 2 feet off the ground with hooks underneath to hold the water and food. I dug out a trench about 12 inches wide by 8 inches deep and filled it with sand for them to dust bathe in. My coop is 6 x 8 and. 4 foot high walls. I did this because I knew the plywood would be 4x8 and did not want to have to buy extra. I used a 2x4 for the roost and built the poop tray underneath. I filled the tray with PDZ. You can see the door on the side. I just unlatch that and let the door hang down. I can reach in with a kitty litter scoop and get all the droppings out without ever going in. The pop door has a rope attached to it and it runs outside to a cleat. I can open and close the door without ever going inside. The eggs can also be collected from the outside. My ventilation is the 6 holes on each side drilled with a 2 inch hole saw. I have vented soffits running the length of the walls except the last 2 or 3 feet where the roost is. Those are solid. I was not sure if a draft would come in and bother the hens. I have 5 hens and looks like 1 rooster.

Regrets: I should of framed a window in but got ahead of myself and did not do it. Thought I could do it afterwards and it does not seem worth the trouble. I did cut a small opening and covered with hardware cloth but not sure I can leave that open in the winter and I would of preferred to have some natural light shine in there.Still may tackle that later.

My pop door is facing the prevailing wind so in winter it might cause problems. Now when I open the back access door and the pop door is open I get a nice gust of pine shavings all over me.

Any problems or suggestions let me know. I appreciate input. Hopefully somebody can pick up a few ideas.






Side where the roost and poop tray is.

Get some lexan and cut a sheet larger than the opening... then four holes and hang it in the wintertime over the window. It doesnt have to be air tight or water proof just needs to keep the wind from blowing in.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Finally got them in there. I have a few more things to finish up with their roost and stuff. But I had to get them out of the tractor that was supposed to be very temporary. Its tough building something that big all by yourself. Do you know how hard it is to level a 10' long board?

I use c clamps as a second set of hands... That and Tie wraps.... even around big things daisy chain a few zip ties together for a holding tool.... Fasten one end then fasten the other with just single screws.... then take the ties off and affix the board for real.

I work with only steel and wire so zip ties have been my constant companion.... My cage wire is self supporting so I only have to align the wires and zip in a couple of places... Now both hands are free to put on hog clips.... I work in short bursts because I cant stand too long. I use a rolling walker to get about.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

MY coop/run combo is all chainlink. keeps adult chickens in Dogs out but not secure for raccoons. Just make sure any roosts or shelves the chickens might hang out on are not within about a foot of the walls. Racoons can reach pretty far in. I had a Guinea loose a leg while on a roost five feet in the air.... fastened to chainlink. they pulled it right off at the hip joint. she survived and lived another year one legged. After that I hung the roosts from v shaped loops from the ceiling anchored at each end with opposing loops so It would wiggle but not much while they jockeyed for position. But thats Guinea Fowl... For the chikens I put up Hardware cloth on the ends that were fastened to the chainlink... a panel about two foot square was all I needed.

My next coop will be all Aviary wire on the outside... Poultry house will have chainlink partitions but my aviary wire is very very heavy duty... 12.5 gauge... and the spacing is 1/2 x 3.... I figure anything that can get through that will be edible....

deb

 

[FrankLG]

This thread moves quick! So where we live, it very rarely gets down to freezing temp. Regardless, a heat lamp or some kind of heater will turn on in the coop to keep the temp. at a comfortable level should get so low, very spoiled chickens. Well, pets really.

 

[perchie.girl]

This thread moves quick! So where we live, it very rarely gets down to freezing temp. Regardless, a heat lamp or some kind of heater will turn on in the coop to keep the temp. at a comfortable level should get so low, very spoiled chickens. Well, pets really.

Please rethink.... they don't need it and if they get dependent on it and it fails.... Any kind of heat element in the coop is a fire risk as well.
Dust and dander are extremely flammable...

I live in the desert and it does get cold here very cold in the winter enough to cause frost bite on combs if you dont provide a windbreak... Yep I only have a roof and a windbreak... the rest of the coop is open air with wire of course.

deb

 

[FrankLG]

Please rethink.... they don't need it and if they get dependent on it and it fails.... Any kind of heat element in the coop is a fire risk as well.
Dust and dander are extremely flammable...

I live in the desert and it does get cold here very cold in the winter enough to cause frost bite on combs if you dont provide a windbreak... Yep I only have a roof and a windbreak... the rest of the coop is open air with wire of course.

deb

Hi Deb, in contrast to yours, our coop has proper walls/roof with insulation. So I guess I have already overdone it! I was thinking it was unnecessary to heat the coop, but I was keeping an open mind. I am monitoring the temp and humidity inside the coop, I suspect it will never fall down to freezing level even if the outside is freezing. I will see how it goes this winter.

 

[jerrey]

and very nice build! If I may make one recommendation... Replace the existing roost with a 2 x 4 with the 4" side on the flat. Chickens are really designed to stand flat footed, not grip a perch like other birds. It also helps them to settle down and keep their feet warm when it's cold. I'm sure your birds feel very spoiled. If not, they should!

that is what I used they seem to settle down more I have tried the round roost and they were always trying to hold on love my chickens

 

[loujeany]

and very nice build! If I may make one recommendation... Replace the existing roost with a 2 x 4 with the 4" side on the flat. Chickens are really designed to stand flat footed, not grip a perch like other birds. It also helps them to settle down and keep their feet warm when it's cold. I'm sure your birds feel very spoiled. If not, they should!

It is hard to tell from the angle but that is actually a 2x4. Thank you